The Northern Lincolnshire pubs and bars that could disappear forever

It has been harder than ever to be a pub landlord over the past two years.

Business was already tough – then they were forced to close for months on end during the Covid lockdowns, and many struggled to get enough staff who weren’t self-isolating after being pinged.

And 2021 saw some owners finally say enough is enough and look at other futures.

Once-popular watering holes could become shops or accommodation, according to planning applications submitted to North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire Councils over the past year.

Nearly all blame Covid and the problems with the pub trade as reasons why they will never return to their past glories.

Here are some of the northern Lincolnshire pubs which are set to disappear forever:

The Albion

One of Grimsby’s most popular pubs in its heyday could finally be demolished after being ruined by vandals.

The Albion on Cleethorpe Road has become burnt-out and needle infested, and images from inside show its sorry state, which has lost all historical merit according a planning application.

The filthy bar room has been stripped, and a table is shown covered with needles, condoms and the odd beer mat.

The application which gives a peek inside the derelict building says: “Due to vandalism and arson, there is little if any detail of architectural or historical merit remaining.”

Extensive fire damage has left some of the walls and ceiling blackened – the building is so damaged it would require “considerable difficulty and expense” to save any historical features.

Owner Surrinder Mehat of Bradford-based Metro C21 Stores would like to replace it with a community store.

The Red Lion

A struggling North Lincolnshire pub has become unviable after the lockdown added to woes from years of poor business.

The Red Lion in Broughton is now seeking to get out of the industry, with a planning application lodged to become a convenience store.

The proposal, which has been submitted by Scawby-based company Durable Systems, says this is a chance for the community to secure a future use for the building.

“A community facility with a future is required for our redundant buildings or very quickly our high streets will become redundant in themselves. This subsequently leads to dereliction and rising crime rates,” the application says.

No decision has been made on the plans yet.

Secrets

New plans have been announced for the nightclub venue once known as Secrets and Musika.

The first-floor venue on Victoria Street hosted a cabaret bar which was popular with the LGBT community, and later became known for its retro nights under the Musika name, but there is little chance of it reopening.

Instead, DMC Architecture Limited has asked for permission to build a second storey extension and create a total of 13 flats.

The plan says: “Due to the economic downturn and lack of demand for the premises, it is no longer viable to sustain the upper floors of the premises, and therefore, a change of use to residential units is being sought to preserve and maintain the building’s future.”

The ground floor business would remained unchanged.

The Dog and Rat

There has been a pub on the site in Broughton since the 1800s, with the current Dog and Rat being constructed in 1957.

It closed in January 2018 as the traditional pub trade entered a “severe decline”.

The operators of the pub say the Covid pandemic “renders this industry in even greater peril” and it will likely never reopen.

With no interest in taking it over, an application has been submitted to convert it into a house which would improve its run-down appearance.

The plans are currently being reviewed by North Lincolnshire Council.